Actuator for door opening mechanisms



Jan. 2, 1951 J. P. BURKE ACTUATOR FOR DOOR OPENING MECHANISMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 5, 1949 IN V EN TOR. '1 Z awe; Sp Ear/( 6. BY

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J- P. BURKE ACTUATOR FOR DOOR OPENING MECHANISMS Jan. 2, 1951 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 5, 1949 ATTO/Q/VEK Patented Jan. 2, 195i 2,536,489 ICE ACTUATOR FOR DOOR OPENING MECHANISMS James P. Burke, Poland, Ohio, assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-half to Murray M. Films and one-half to Jerome W. Marcus, both of Youngstown, Ohio Application March 5, 1949, Serial No. 79,898

1 Claim.

This invention relates to automatic door opening mechanisms and more particularly to actuators therefor.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a manually operable actuator for a door opening mechanism.

A further object of the invention is the provision of actuator means for door opening mechanisms and including tread plates positioned on each side of the door to be controlled.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an actuator for door opening mechanisms which is of simple and economic construction and which may be installed easily and conveniently in any doorway to control a door therein.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an actuator for door opening mechanisms having means preventing the accidental opening of the door against a person approaching the door from the wrong side.

The actuator for door opening mechanisms disclosed herein comprises a simple and efficient mechanism incorporating a minimum number oi parts and adapted to replace a threshold portion of a door opening, beneath a door hinged in the opening, and provide tread plates extending outwardly in both sides of the door so that a person approaching the door will of necessity step on one of the tread plates which will then operate the door opening mechanism and cause the door to swing inwardly and away from the person approaching the same.

Means is also provided to render the mechanism inoperative in the event a person approaches the door from the direction in which the door opens so that accidental injury from the swinging door is avoided.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view with parts broken away illustrating a door opening and a door hinge therein having an opening mechanism and an actuator for said mechanism.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional detail of a portion of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line 2-4 of Figure 2.

By referring to the drawings and figure 1 in particular itwill be seen that a doorway is illustrated and defined by a door frame It} and has; a door II hinged therein along its edge l2 sothat the door II will hinge inwardly, away. from:

the point of view as illustrated in Figure 1. The door frame Ill has a housing I3 mounted above; the door H, which housing l3 encloses an air' piston and cylinder assembly I4. A crank arm. 1 5 connects the air piston and cylinder assemblyi l with a bracket 16 which in turn is secured. to the door I I so that operation of the air piston. and cylinder assembly [4, as by introducing compressed air thereinto through a pipe 11, will cause the door H to swing open, away from the point of view as shown in Figure l of the drawmgs.

In order that the mechanism just described may be controlled, a pair of tread plates l8 and 59 are positioned one on each side of the door ll, the tread plate l8 comprising an entrance tread plate and the tread plate I9 comprising an exit tread plate. The tread plates l8 and 19 are positioned over a bottom plate 20 and hinged thereto at their outermost, oppositely disposed ends by means of hinge assemblies 2| and 22. The tread plates l8 and 19 are supported in elevated relation to the bottom plate 20 by means of groups of springs 23 and 24, respectively, two of which are shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

It will be observed that the respective innermost opposed edges of the tread plates l8: and [9 are slightly spaced with respect to one another so that either plate may be moved vertically without interfering with the other. The tread plate l8 has an arm 25 secured thereto and extending outwardly from one side thereof as shown in Figure l and in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. The arm 25 has an adjustable extension member 26 secured thereto by fasteners 21, the outermost end of the extension member 26 entering a box-like enclosure 28 which is secured to the door frame I!) as best shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The enclosure 28 has a rocking arm 29 pivoted on a pivot pin 30 which in turn is carried on a bracket 3| secured to the bottom of the enclosure 28. The end of the rocking :arm 29 lying adjacent the end of the extension member 26 is provided with a sidewardly extending pin 32 engaged beneath the extension member 26 so that downward motion of the tread plate l8 will move the arm 25 and the extension mem-- ber 26 downwardly and hence move the rocking arm 29 to cause it to pivot on the pivot pin 30 and cause the opposite end thereof to rise upwardly. A slot 33 is formed in the opposite end of the rocking arm 29 and an extension 34 on one end of an L-shaped lever 35 is engaged in the slot 33. The L-shaped lever 35 is pivoted to a boss 36 by a pivot 31 and the opposite arm of the L-shaped lever 35 is pivoted by a pivot 38 to a sideward extension 39 which in turn has a link Ml pivoted to its outermost end.

The link in lies beneath the M55 as and is connected at its opposite end to a pivot pin 4! which in turn is secured to one end of a slide piece 42 which is slidably mounted by fasteners 43 engaging a slot 44 in the slide piece and secured to the bottom of the housing 28.

The slide piece 42 extends out of the'housing' 28 andbeneath the exit tread plate l9- and hasan opening 45 therein and a depression 45 formed therein spaced with respect to one another and adapted to be engaged by a locking pin 41 secured to the underside of the exit tread plate l9. It will be observed that the slide piece 4,2,l1ies on the. bottom plate 20 heretofore referred to.

The housing} 28. encloses an air valve 581 in communication with. a. source of compressed air by way ofapipe 49 andlalso connectedwith the pipe [1. heretofore referredto andby means of whichv compressed air may be delivered fromv the: valve 48 to the air piston and cylinder assemblysoithattthedoor l-l may beiopened thereby.- The valve 48 has aplunger d engaged upon a boss 5i formed on-the rocking arm 2-9 softhat shaped lever 35 will. move the. boss; 39 toward.-

the door-i1: or tu-thealeit: aszshownv in Figures l and. 2;, which motion: will. be carriedby, the; link 4;) by the slide piece 52' which inturn moves: beneath the exit tread plate l9; and: to a, po sition" where: the opening; 45- willregister beneath" the locking'piniv 41;

-A; personsteppina from the tread" plate [8 to the: tread plate. I95 as in, walking through the open; doorway will therefore causethe trea'dz plate: l9: to move downwardly: whereby: the lock-- ingpin i 5?. will register-i with the; opening: 45; in

the slide 1 piece 52. and thus locle the: mechanism in. position with thee valve-1 Q8 open. The door will? thus-irremainx open. until the" person passes through the doorway and steps on; of the: exit treadiplate I93 at which time the'1springs. 2'5. will elevate. the: exit tread plate l9; disengagethe lock pin 47 from the opening 45 the: slide piece 42' and permit the mechanism; to: return to normal, closin theai'r valve" 48 and per at such time as the door actuator is operated by the entrance tread plate so that such a person will not be injured by the door ll swinging against the person. Such means is provided-and' comprises the depression 46 in the slide piece 42 heretofore referred to, which in inoperative position is normally located immediately beneath the locking pin 41. Thus, a person stepping: upon the exit tread plate l9 will.

" depress the same and cause the locking pin 41 toengage the depression 46 and thereby hold the slide piece E2 in normal inoperative position as the connecting link 40 and the L-shaped lever 35 control'theposition of the rocking arm which actuates the air valve 481 As 11mg as a person stands on the exit tread" plate I Q the device remains inoperative and the door I I' cannot be opened. There is therefore, no possibility of accidentally injuring a person even though the entrance tread plate I!) is depressed as by a person seeking to pass through the doorway. a

It Will thus be seen that the several objects of the invention have beenmet by the device as disclosed and that the mechanism compri's'es a simpleand'efiiciently formed device which may be readily installed with a minimum of alteration in any conventional doorwa for operating. a.

'door operating mechanism in connection with a door hinged in the said doorway.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

The combination of a l iinged door having an air operated door opening mechanism. in connection therewithand a pair of't'read plates one positioned on each side of the door and their innermost opposed edfges spaced with respect to each other immediately beneath the said door when in closed position,. an envelope of resilient materialenclcsingvthe said t'read'plates, an air valve n controlling the said docr operating mechanism-and. positioned adjacent the said tread. plates, a rocking arm pivoted adjacent said air valve and one end of the said'rocking mitting thedoor' M to be" closed by'thes'pring/ incorporated: in the air piston and cylinder as sembly I47.

Into'rder thatfall. of: the part's of the meche anismf will" be. returned to? normal position, a. spring 52': is positioned between: the: housing 2S and: one arm of the. Lrshapedzl'ever. 35": and nor;- mally biases" the". mechanism toward: normall inoperative position;

Itiwill thus'be seen thatthe mechanism here in: disclosed. willoperat'e efficiently to openrthe: doors upon the same: beingz approached from the: entrance side and" that the door Willi be held: open: until such time fa's a person passescthrough'z the door'and steps off the exit'iside=tread plate:

It will be obvious" to thoseislrilled in; the art thatim'eansx is desirable for; protecting persons: agpidentallgr stepping; upon the: exit: tread: plate" arm engaging the" said air valve, an arm secured to one of the said tread plates and engaged-over one end. of the said rocking arm: for: imparting. movement thereto whereby the said valve maybe actuated; an inverted V-sh aped lever pivoted' adjacent one end of the said rocking arm pivoted thereto and a slide piece disposed beneath the other one of' t'he said tread plates andlpivoted to'the other arm of the-saidinverted shapedl lever, a locking. pin secured to- ,the last mentioned treadplate and an openingin-saidlslide piece, the said locking pin registerin'gwitli said opening when the first mentioned tread plateis in depressed-position for holdingthe said air valve openduring the progressive depressing of the first mentioned and last men'- tioned tread plates.

' JAMES- P. BURKE.

asrsnaivciis cites The 'followingreferences are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATESPATEN'IS Number Name" Date 55725380 Hicks Dec. 1',-l89 5 1,083,382 Wenker et al Jan; 6, 191% 1150561. P'alnierian-na- A'ug. 1'7, 1915 1,212,085 Metcalf --Ja'n';-9} 1917 2 051912 OHara a Oct 20', 1936 2,166,748? 

